Easter. It is a day filled with hope and renewed life. It means much more to me as an adult than it ever did as a child. Growing up, Easter typically meant a "surprise" visit from the Easter bunny, huge Easter baskets with things we wanted (mini Christmas is what we called it), a checked box for attending church and little mention of Jesus. I guess my family could blame my youth for lack of memory of Jesus being trumped by Mr. Rabbit, but obviously the Rabbit was a bigger deal if I remember him more vividly.
Actually, the words Jesus and Easter didn't flow well together until 5 years ago. Of course by this time I had a surface understanding of how Easter and Jesus could be put in the same sentence. I understood that Jesus has died and resurrected. But there was so much I did not know. Easter of 2009 was the turning point in my life.
Anthony and I had been living in Miami for about a year and not attended church in months, maybe years. When April strolled around, we vowed to make it to church on Easter Day (because going any other Sunday would have been blasphemous and waiting for Christmas was just too much waiting.) When we arrived at the church we were lost (literally and spiritually); it seemed everyone and their mother decided to make a vow along with us. We were contemplating leaving when we were asked by an sweet woman if we needed help. We told her we were new and were lost. She said "I can show you the way. Follow me." (pretty sure she was an angel). Next thing we knew we were sitting in the front row of a church we had never been to, with a woman and her family who we had never met, listening to a church service we were hoping to hear from the back of the church where we could sneak out before the service ended. Instead, the service came to an end and our new friend, whose name is Janet, invited us to have lunch with her husband and son. After lunch they all invited us back to church the following week and for the next 3 months after service Janet treated us for lunch or dinner. It was truly the first time we had ever witnessed God's love through someone. It was so genuine.
As we got to know Janet and her family, we found out Easter Sunday was her first service back to church since overcoming cancer. This is also how we found out about Summit. Her son, Adam, had just graduated from UCF and had attended Summit. When he found out we were moving to Orlando to attend UCF he told us how great Summit had been for him and we needed to check it out. Our very first weekend in Orlando we went to Summit and never looked back.
Fast forward 5 years and we are at Easter service with our baby boy. Our first Easter as parents. I am so thankful for Janet Batchelor. I am so thankful for her faithfulness to Christ. For taking Anthony and I under her wing even in a difficult time. I am so thankful because now we get it. We get what Jesus did for us and because of that we will be able to teach it to Max. We will be able to teach Max about a God who loves us so much He gave His one and only son to die on a cross for our sins and then on Easter, HE ROSE. It is a truth that cannot be replaced with an story of an easter bunny or fancy basket. It is a truth that restores lives and gives hope.
Happy Easter. He is Risen.
